


Yu-Gi-Oh: Arc Smile

by MercuryDjinn3



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-04-06 03:33:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19054405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercuryDjinn3/pseuds/MercuryDjinn3
Summary: With a story spread across multiple dimensions, there are so many different ways to tell it. This is simply yet another one.





	1. Ladies and Gentlemen

**“Ladies and gentlemen!”**

 

**“Let’s start shall we? Come on!”**

 

**“Thank you for waiting, don’t miss it!”**

 

**“Start a countdown, 3, 2, 1!”**

 

**“Step forward and draw!”**

 

Two young entertainers practically flew across the stadium as they recited those words. The audience looked on in awe, as both of them traversed the circus-themed stage with great ease before the show had even begun. Attention then shifted to a mustachioed man in a colorful outfit as he snapped his fingers in an exaggerated display. All eyes were now on him, as he proudly opened the main event!

 

“Welcome, one and all, to the face-off of a lifetime! I am Nico Smiley, and I will be your host on this journey across scenes of drama and glee! Now, everyone please welcome the star of our show, Yuya Sakaki!”

 

The gallery erupted into cheers as an athletic boy leapt down from the highest platform in the theater, worrying the crowd before landing perfectly upright, only he was upside-down. Flipping out of a handstand as if to scoff at the thought of danger, his antics had quickly won over the hearts of all that surrounded him. He bounced back onto his feet, his striking green and red hair grabbing the eyes of anyone that didn’t already have them glued to the charismatic teen.

 

The young man bowed graciously, grateful that so many people had come to see his performance, “Ladies and gentlemen! We have something special for you all, so be prepared to witness a spectacle like no other!”

 

“Yuya speaks the truth, folks! For today, you will be witnessing a collision of elements that the entertainment world has yet to truly sink its teeth into! Today, he shall present to you all the wonder that is Pendulum Summoning!” Nico spread out his arms, welcoming the cheers as they boomed out from the crowd.

 

“But of it takes two to tango, isn’t that right?” All heads turned to a mysterious figure, the very same that accompanied Yuya during his entrance, “I’m afraid you won’t have the chance to show off that fancy summoning technique you supposedly discovered all by yourself. For you see, Yuya Sakaki, I, the Masked Mage, shall defeat you right here and now, and take Pendulum Summoning for myself!”

 

Upon throwing away the cape that covered up his identity, the Masked Mage revealed himself to all, donning a blue and gold mask with a design that would typically be seen during the renaissance. His hair was orange and wild, and his outfit was just as outlandish, with most being orange to match his hair, but the right sleeve and pant leg being blue, as if to use his clothing to demand for recognition. Onlookers merely watched in astonishment, unsure how this confrontation would play out.

 

Briefly glancing back at the spectators, Yuya smirked before pulling out a machine that he swiftly latched onto his arm, “Well if that’s how you wanna do things, then be my guest!”

 

Across the colosseum, the Masked Mage attaches a similar device to his own arm as his face forms a similar smile, “Glad we don’t have to do this the hard way.”

 

Nico gestured towards the crowd with great enthusiasm, “Well would you look at that, folks! It seems that today’s demonstration won’t be so simple, for a villain known as the Masked Mage has appeared! Who knows if Yuya will be able to defeat this unknown foe and protect the power of his Pendulum cards!”

 

“Oh I think we both know the answer to that…” The Masked Mage chuckled underneath his breath as he winked at Yuya, who returned the favor upon noticing.

 

“But no matter the stakes! A typical battlefield will never do for the one and only Yuya Sakaki! It is time to power up the Solid Vision, and get this battle for the fate of Pendulum Summoning underway!” Nico proclaimed.

 

“Action Field, on! Field Spell: Acrobatic Circus! Activate!”

 

The already brightly colored arena was coated in a plethora of even more decorations, further emphasizing its existent theming. The audience watched on as the world around them was enveloped by a new level of vibrance not typically seen. Tightropes, trampolines, and trapezes, all being very real to the touch as one child discovered once they reached out to grab a stray balloon, wonder immediately filling their eyes.

 

Seeing everyone become gripped by the powerful air of positivity, Yuya and the Masked Mage turned to each other, ready to begin a match that they would make sure none of the viewers would forget!

 

**“Duelists locked in battle!”**

 

**“Kicking against the earth, and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!”**

 

**“They storm through this field!”**

 

**“Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!”**

 

**“Action…”**

 

 ** _“Duel!”_**                                                                              ** _“Duel!”_**

 

As the two of them recited the chant, a burst of light filled the space above them, only to dissipate into physical pieces that fell into the stadium.

 

 **Yuya LP: 4000**                                                                             **Masked Mage LP: 4000**

 

Yuya didn’t waste any time, grabbing a card from his hand and slapping it down on the Duel Disk, overflowing with excitement, “Alright, let’s get started Performapal Hip Hippo!” From seemingly nowhere, a pastel hippo appeared, donning a vest and top hat (Lv 3/Earth/Beast/800 Atk/800 Def). Yuya then mounted the bizarre creature, letting it carry him across the jumble of various set pieces scattered everywhere.

 

Meanwhile, the Masked Mage was unimpressed, “If that’s the best you’ve got, then the secrets of Pendulum Summoning will be mine in no time at all! I summon Performage Trick Clown!” With that, an explosion of color brought forth a vaguely humanoid imp with face paint, wielding a cane as it precariously balanced itself atop a miniscule ball with impeccable dexterity (Lv 4/Light/Spellcaster/1600 Atk/1200 Def). The Masked Mage then stuck out his arm in one swift motion, grinning wildly as he proceeded to make his move, “Trick Clown, attack Performapal Hip Hippo!”

 

Performage Trick Clown then leaped off from the ball it used, and reeled back its foot before striking it with enough power to send it flying towards its target. Yuya signaled for Hip Hippo to dodge, as the mammal saw the sphere hurtling through the air with enough speed to shatter the wind around it. With a yelp, Hip Hippo jumped just in the nick of time, the extra height causing Yuya to spot something on a nearby ledge.

 

Yuya hopped off of his partner and grabbed the stray card laying atop the platform. “Sorry to disappoint, Mister Mage, but Hip Hippo is going nowhere! Action Spell: Tenacity, activate!” As the ball rebounded off the wall, it came back and struck Hip Hippo, but left the pink pal with nothing more than a sizeable bruise as it laid on the ground, wincing in pain, “Might need more than an Action Card for that though…”

 

Nico Smiley suddenly interjected from the commentary booth, “What an incredible move by our very own Yuya Sakaki! While summoning such a weak monster might have seemed like a poor choice to some, Hip Hippo’s speed on the battlefield allows for anything to be possible when Action Cards are a factor, thanks to being able to be activated during either player’s turn! For example, Tenacity can protect a monster from being destroyed by battle that turn, as long as it is the only monster that duelist controls!” It wasn’t until after his little scphele however that Nico noticed that no one was even paying attention, all eyes still on the duel. He then turned away, muttering to himself, “Sometimes I wonder why I ever bother…”

 

The Masked Mage merely laughed at his opponent’s attempt at a defensive maneuver, “Excellent job protecting your monster, Yuya Sakaki, but while Tenacity stops your Hip Hippo from being destroyed by battle, surely you know that you’ll still receive damage equal to the difference between the Attack Points of our two monsters, yes?” Yuya then turned his head upon hearing an odd swishing sound, only to be met with the same ball colliding with his face, pushing him off the platform from which he stood.

 

**Yuya LP: 4000 > 3200**

 

“That’s not all I’m afraid, as now I activate the Spell Card Tremendous Fire! You lose an additional 1000 Life Points, at the cost of me losing 500 myself!” The Masked Mage remained stoic as he was instantly engulfed in a tornado of flames. The same to happen to Yuya, who screamed out in response, much less resilient than his opponent.

 

**Yuya LP: 3200 > 2200**

 

**Masked Mage LP: 4000 > 3500**

 

As Yuya grew agitated as he lifted his body off of the ground, “Alright, no more mister nice Yuya! I summon Performapal Whip Snake!” With his command, out came a violet cobra with similar top hat to his hippo, along with a distinctive bowtie (Lv 4/Earth/Reptile/1700 Atk/900 Def).

 

“Now I activate Whip Snake’s ability! Once per turn, I’m allowed to flip the stats of one of your monsters right on their head!” Whip Snake then lurched out and knocked the ball out from under Trick Clown, which then fell flat on its behind (1600 > 1200 Atk/1200 > 1600 Def). “Okay Whip Snake, time for that clown’s curtain call!” A sharp lash of Whip Snake’s tail then met Trick Clown, as it disappeared in a similar manner to when it first showed up, vanishing in a puff of colored smoke.

 

**Masked Mage LP: 3500 > 3000**

 

The Masked Mage’s smile was unperturbed however, and instead he laughed even more boastfully, “Is that the best you can do? Surely you can hit harder than that!” As if to point out how weak the attack was, Performage Trick Clown then reappeared as if nothing had ever happened.

 

“W-Wait, what?!” Yuya stood there in shock, wondering why his opponent’s monster was suddenly back.

 

“When my Trick Clown is destroyed, I can pay 1000 Life Points to bring it back immediately with zero Attack and Defense Points. A true bait and switch.” (1600 > 0 Atk/1200 > 0 Def)

 

**Masked Mage LP: 3000 > 2000**

 

“Sorry to disappoint, but that won’t help you one bit! I attack Trick Clown with Performapal Hip Hippo!” Yuya then directed a second attack, allowing Hip Hippo to get his revenge for the injury earlier. Trick Clown was rammed into with immense force, shattering the imp once more, leaving the Masked Mage defenseless yet again, though that wouldn’t remain the case for long.

 

“My turn!” Upon seeing the card he drew, the Masked Mage’s grin grew ominously large, “Since there are at least two monsters on the field, I’m allowed to Special Summon Performage Hat Tricker!” On command, a mysterious hat came down onto the battlefield, only for a cape to fall out from inside and wrap itself around it, followed by a pair of goggles at the front tying it together (Lv 4/Earth/Spellcaster/1100 Atk/1100 Def).

 

“I’m afraid he won’t be sticking around for long however, as I now tribute my Hat Tricker in order to summon Performage Stilts Launcher!” The cape and goggles then retreated into the hat, only for two long stilts to shoot out from inside it, along with a tall creature that gripped them with an intense look in its eyes (Lv 6/Earth/Spellcaster/2200 Atk/0 Def). “Now, Stilts Launcher! Exterminate that Whip Snake!”

 

Before Yuya could react, a stilt was blasted at Performapal Whip Snake with immense force, shattering his monster in an instant, “Drat…!”

 

**Yuya LP: 2200 > 1700**

 

“Oh, and don’t think that’s the end of it.” With an acrobatic leap, the Masked Mask swiped a nearby card and dangled it to make sure his opponent saw, “You’re not the only one who can make good use of Action Cards, you know. I activate Wonder Chance, granting my Stilts Launcher a second attack! Now, destroy Performapal Hip Hippo!”

 

Yuya tried to find an Action of him own, but before he could even spot one, Hip Hippo was shattered without any chance to react, sending him to the ground, facefirst, “Grk…!”

 

**Yuya LP: 1700 > 300**

 

The Masked Mage grinned, setting a card in his Spell/Trap Zone, face-down, before ending his turn.

 

“Oh dear, this looks like bad news for Yuya…!” Nico finally started giving his opinion once again, just in time to remind Yuya why he was dueling in the first place, “At this rate, the Masked Mage will win his Pendulum cards before he even has a chance to use them! The magic of Pendulum Summoning will be lost forever!” Upon hearing that though, Yuya scoffed at the thought.

 

Just as a duel can swing in one person’s favor, it can swing back just as easily. Leaping back up, Yuya spread his arms in order to draw the audience’s attention, “Ladies and gentlemen! I hope you’re prepared for a comeback like no other!” Gasps consumed the crowd as Yuya smiled confidently.

 

“Is he gonna do what I think he’s gonna do?”

 

“It’s finally time to see it with our own eyes!”

 

“I’m so excited!”

 

Yuya’s smile only grew wider upon hearing the audience’s excitement, encouraging him to get this show on the rode! In his hand he held Timegazer Magician, but that wasn’t enough on its own to Pendulum Summon. That didn’t matter though, since because Yuya had the cheers of the crowd on his side, he was certain he would get the card he needs! With one powerful movement of his arm, he smirked once more as he welcomed his good friend Stargazer Magician to the party.

 

Climbing up onto a small pedestal, Yuya began his big moment, “I apologize for the wait, but it is finally time for the moment you have all been waiting for! I use Scale 1 Stargazer Magician, and Scale 8 Timegazer Magician to set the Pendulum Scale!” He then slapped the two cards down onto the far zones of his Duel Disk enthusiastically, evoking the word ‘ **P** **E** **N** **D** **U** **L** **U** **M** ’ to appear between them in bright, vivid colors, as if the machine wanted the people's attention as much as the one wearing it.

 

Everyone was left in awe, mouths were agape at the glowing Duel Disk Standing tall, Yuya continued with his proclamation, having won over the crowd once more, “With this, I’m able to summon multiple monsters between Levels Two and Seven!” Overhead, a giant pendulum was visible through the open ceiling, eyes shifting towards it as it swung between two columns of light. Stargazer Magician and Timegazer Magician then rose up from the base of said columns, a 1 appearing above the former, and an 8 for the latter. With everything now in place, Yuya commenced what the entire duel had been building up to.

 

**“Sway, Pendulum of the Soul! Draw your arc of light across the ether!**

 

**PENDULUM SUMMON!**

 

**Come forth, my monsters!**

 

**_Performapal Trampolynx!_ **

 

 ** _Performapal Thunderhino!_ ** _  
_

 

**_Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!”_ **

 

From a portal formed from the pattern carved by the pendulum, three beams of light unleashed a new monster onto the field. A violet cat with a round midsection (Lv 2/Earth/Beast/400 Atk/400 Def), a rhino with drums surrounding it (Lv 3/Light/Rock/200 Atk/1800 Def), and a red dragon with mismatching eye colors, and prominent bones sticking out of its head, chest, and most dominantly its back (Lv 7/Dark/Dragon/2500 Atk/2000 Def). Everyone had been left speechless upon witnessing what they just had. Some had been convinced people were pulling their leg prior to this, while others had no idea what the spectacle would actually look like. Either way, they had now seen Pendulum Summoning for themselves, in all of its glory.

 

No matter how many times he saw it, Yuya Sakaki couldn’t get over the sight of so many joyous smiles. That was what drove him, and what gave him the passion to succeed, “Time to give them a finale they’ll remember for the rest of their lives! Odd-Eyes! Attack Performage Stilts Launcher!” On command, the dragon shot a stream of violent flames at its foes, sparks hurtling towards it.

 

Regardless of being outnumbered, the Masked Mage kept his calm composure, “You may have Pendulum Summoning on your side, but I’m afraid you’re still doomed to lose, Yuya Sakaki! I activate my face-down card, Forbidden Lance! I reduce the Attack Points of your Odd-Eyes by 800!” (2500 > 1700 Atk)

 

“Egads!” Nico interjected, “If this attack goes through, Yuya will be done for!”

 

“Which is exactly why I’m gonna make sure that doesn’t happen!” Yuya leapt onto the back of Thunderhino, with Trampolynx in tow, an Action Card in his sights! Grabbing Trampolynx’s tail, Yuya tossed the circular cat in front of their path, and jumped back off Thunderhino, and onto his other companion, utilizing its springy stomach in order to make his way up to the Action Card, and nabbing it just in time! “Action Spell: Spell Swing, activate! Since you activated a Spell Card that targeted one of my monsters, I can change that target to another applicable one, and I choose your Stilts Launcher!” (2200 > 1400) (1700 > 2500)

 

With his last line of defense gone up in flames, the Masked Mage’s demeanor had finally broken away from its typical frozen state, “Well then, it looks like you’ve bested yet another one of my dastardly tricks, but I’m still going to win in the end!”

 

While the Masked Mage was already quite riled up, it would soon go further beyond that, as Yuya stood atop Odd-Eyes proudly, “I’m afraid the show’s already over! See, since your Stilts Launcher was Level 5 or above, the damage Odd-Eyes deals to you, is doubled!” The Masked Mage’s eyes widened as Odd-Eyes leaned back before launching another fireball straight at him, finally ending their duel.

 

**Masked Mage LP: 2000 > 0**

 

**Winner: Yuya**

 

The onlookers burst into endless amounts of cheering, Yuya riding Odd-Eyes around the arena as he proudly welcomed their joy. Meanwhile, the Masked Mage smirked from beneath his mask as he lay defeated on the ground, nonetheless satisfied with the result. All the while, Nico Smiley continued to give commentary over a duel that had already ended, “What a spectacular finish! Against all odds, Yuya Sakaki has turned the Masked Mage’s own card back on him for an incredible comeback victory!”

 

* * *

 

Backstage, Yuya was busy stretching after working his muscles so hard, “Thanks for filling in for my usual opponent, Dennis. I don’t know what we would’ve done if we couldn’t find a replacement!”

 

Dennis Mackfield removed his mask, glad to no longer have hide his face any longer, “The pleasure is all mine! It was an honor dueling the pioneer of Pendulum Summoning himself!”

 

Yuya merely forced a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head, “You flatter me. I’m more impressed by you and your own performance out there! I can tell why they asked you to take the position! It really has been great meeting you!”

 

Yuya stuck out his hand, to which Dennis simply responded with a lighthearted chuckle, “There’s no need to speak as if it will be our last encounter! As fellow Entertainment Duelists, we are destined to cross paths, fated to join together with our common goal of spreading joy to the masses!” Confusion swept over Yuya as Dennis struck a triumphant pose, clearly passionate regarding what he spoke about. Despite this, it was hard not to stare.

 

* * *

 

“There’s that Pendulum Energy again… Would it kill that kid to be more subtle with that stuff? Makes it difficult to for other readings to stand out…” A disgruntled man sat alone in a dark room, watching bright monitor as it flickered silently, “ _Sigh_ … Oh who am I kidding… Even without any disruptions, this hunk of junk never picks up anything. I’ve resorted to talking to myself for cripes’ sake… Huh…?”

 

The man suddenly reached for a nearby landline and immediately began talking to someone on the other end, “Mr. Akaba? I think we may have finally found something… There’s been an unusual spike in Xyz Energy…”

 

A voice could be heard on the other end; one that was slow, cold, and calculating, “Xyz Energy? That’s not too unusual, now is it? It is the most popular summoning method here in Maiami City, after all.”

 

“Yes but… the output is far higher than anything normal we’ve received befo-...! Sir…!” The man suddenly froze up.

 

“... Yes?”

 

“Y-You won’t believe this but…! We just got readings for…!”

 

“... So, it appears that it is finally time.” Placing the phone down, the owner of the ominous voice thought to themselves quietly, “Are they really making the first move though…”


	2. Fusion Confusion

 

After the show that Yuya Sakaki had put on the previous day, all the leftover adrenaline had caused him to struggle with getting any sleep that night. Unfortunately, the following morning wasn’t willing to give him any mercy, as he woke up with a pounding headache. Pulling his goggles up off his eyes, he bit the bullet and let the sunlight burn them while he stretched his tired muscles. Several minutes passed before Yuya actually got out of bed, his ears ringing as the lack of sleep weighed him down.

 

Rubbing his eyes, Yuya shuffled over to his closet to get dressed, only to notice the clock that was just barely in his line of sight. It was then that he was fully shocked awake in an instant, as he realized it was already 11 AM. Horrified, he stumbled through the house, switching clothes in a panic, grabbing something to eat quickly and ran outside, “Thanks Mom, love you, bye!”

 

Yoko Sakaki stood there confused as her son dashed out the door without so much as a ‘Good morning.’ “That boy really does take after his father…”

 

Yuya scarfed down the pancakes he had nabbed off the table while he ran as fast as he could towards his destination. No matter what, he was guaranteed to be late at this point, but he couldn’t afford to relax, as the longer it took to arrive, the more painful his punishment might get. Because his brain was swirling at the thought of a swift smack to the head, Yuya didn’t see the girl in front of him until they had collided. If he wasn’t late before, he certainly would be now…

 

The girl Yuya had slammed into briefly lost her footing before regaining her balance. She then faced him, her face contorting into one of anger, “What do you think you’re doing?!”

 

Yuya had flinched, fearing the person he ran into was someone else. Upon noticing that it wasn’t who he thought it was though, he let out a sigh of relief, and hopped back onto his feet. While the voice and face were strikingly similar, this girl’s hair was different in both style and color, having been tied into a ponytail by way of a yellow ribbon, as well as being distinctly indigo. Not to mention the person Yuya feared it was wouldn’t wear clothes like that, with this girl donning a dark red leather jacket and black vest on top of a white undershirt, but was contrasted by a denim skirt.

 

The lack of consistency between this girl’s clothing choices distracts Yuya for a moment, wondering why her upper body was dressed for the winter, as opposed to the skirt being appropriate for summer. As he got lost in thought, however, the girl got right in his face, only growing more frustrated, “Hey! Earth to Lettuce-Head! Did you get brain damage when you hit the pavement, or what?”

 

Yuya couldn’t do anything but blink in response to how rude the girl is. Even after snapping out of it though, he doesn’t really know how to react, “Um… Sorry…?” he said, rather shaken by the whole mess. Lifting himself back up, Yuya attempts to run off without another word, not having any time to spare for a conversation.

 

As Yuya tried to escape, the girl grabs his arm way more forcefully than necessary, causing him to yelp out in pain, “Where do you think you’re going?! You crash into me, then run away like nothing happened?!”

 

Yuya yanks his arm away from her, shaking it in an attempt to ward off the stinging sensation. He then notices her trying to grab him again, causing him to trip over his feet as he made a break for it, only to end up flat on his face. Now just plain annoyed, Yuya leaps onto his feet once more, “What the heck! Listen, I’m sorry okay! There’s somewhere I really have to be right now, so I need to get going!”

 

Despite his pleas, the girl refuses to release Yuya, directing towards the Duel Disk on the ground next to him, “You’re a duelist, right?”

 

Yuya picks up his Duel Disk as he continued to object, “Listen, I’m normally all for dueling, but now is a really bad time!”

 

Unfortunately for Yuya, the girl isn’t willing to let him slip away using what she sees as a flimsy excuse, “Alright then, I’ll be sure to crush you swiftly in that case.” She wears a fierce scowl, as if her need to take out her anger on Yuya is more of a primal instinct than actually wanting payback for their collision.

 

Sighing, Yuya finally obliged, sliding on his Duel Disk as he prepares for the most unwanted duel he’s ever experienced.

 

**_“Duel!”_**                                                        ** _“Duel!”_**

 

It was then that Yuya notices that the blade of his opponent’s Duel Disk is rather different, the word being literal as it resembles a sword.

  
  


**Yuya LP: 4000**                                                         **Unknown LP: 4000**

  
  


“I summon Performapal Skeeter Skimmer and end my turn!” Yuya placed a singular card down, calling upon a lanky insect that sports a long, thin nose, and hands at the end of its slender limbs (Lv 4/Water/Insect/500 Atk/1600 Def).

 

“That’s it? Looks like I got my hopes up for nothing. I draw!” The mysterious opponent pulls out a card from her deck with unnecessary amounts of ferocity, “I activate the effect of Lunalight Black Sheep from my hand, allowing me to discard it to add the card Polymerization to my hand in its stead.” A new card pops out of the assorted stack, the girl immediately plucking it out.

 

Yuya had never heard of a card called Polymerization before, so this is certainly new. Whatever it does though, he hopes it works fast so that he could get out of there sooner…

 

Placing the card down on her Duel Disk, Yuya’s opponent holds up another two cards in her hand, “I fuse Lunalight Blue Cat and Lunalight Purple Butterfly!”

 

Yuya had to do a double take, unsure if he heard that correctly, “Fusing… cards together…?”

 

“Blue Cat that prowls through the darkness! Butterfly with violet poison! Spiral into the moon’s gravity and become a new power!” Out of nowhere, the girl’s Extra Deck popped open, revealing a new card, which she then slapped onto her Duel Disk with considerable force.

  
  


**_“_ ** **FUSION SUMMON!**

 

**Come to me! Beautiful beast that dances in the moonlight!**

 

**_Lunalight Cat Dancer!”_ **

  
  


Yuya was stunned at was he was looking at. Whoever she was, this girl just summoned a monster from her Extra Deck using two monsters in her hand, and a Spell Card… It wasn’t too different from Pendulum Summoning now that he thought about it, but still… Fusion Summoning… Fusing cards together to create a new, more powerful one… Such a concept seemed impossible to Yuya…

  
  


* * *

  
  


At the top of the city’s most recognized institute for dueling, the Leo Duel School, a man known as Nakajima examined the monitor in front of him, searching for any noteworthy fluctuations. However, his eyes suddenly widened upon noticing something that would have been difficult to miss, even if he wasn’t actively looking for it. A surge in energy had appeared, prompting him to reach for the nearby landline, “Mr. Akaba? There’s been another rise in levels of Fusion Energy-... Yes, I’ll hold…”

  
  


* * *

  
  


Yuya stares as a creature with both pink skin and hair danced with great poise as it made its entrance. It would have appeared to be a regular woman if not for the barely noticeable tail it had, blocked from view by the many seafoam green ribbons that adorned its skin tight outfit. Its head was also decorated with a headdress, plus a crescent shaped mask that makes it look as if it had come straight out of a masquerade ball (Lv 7/Dark/Beast-Warrior/2400 Atk/2000 Def).

 

As Yuya processed all the information being presented to him, he was dragged back into reality as his opponent resumed her turn, “Next I summon Lunalight Crimson Fox!” Joining the dancing diva was a similarly feminine monster sporting what appeared to gauntlets, as well as a vest, contrasted by a skirt and tight leggings. It also wore a crescent shaped mask, though this one only covered its right eye, unlike its Fusion Summoned counterpart (Lv 4/Dark/Beast-Warrior/1800 Atk/600 Def). “However, she won’t be sticking around. I activate the effect of Lunalight Cat Dancer! This allows me to tribute Crimson Fox, which triggers its own ability since it was sent to the Graveyard by a card effect! Now I can target your monster and reduce its Attack Points to zero!” (500 > 0 Atk)

 

Cat Dancer then lunged at Performapal Skeeter Skimmer, now able to freely pounce on its weakened prey. Yet in spite of his monster being weakened, Yuya was still able to fight back, “I activate the effect of Performapal Skeeter Skimmer, switching it into Defense Position, and negating the attack!” The girl seemed unimpressed however, as she then directed her monster to attack a second time. He was unable to react in time before Skeeter Skimmer was sliced apart by Cat Dancer’s blades, “Wait, what?! Your monster can attack twice?!”

 

While Yuya’s answer seemed to make the most sense, the girl actually shook her head, “No, not normally anyways. That effect earlier isn’t just meant to tribute random monsters in the off chance it activates something. It grants Cat Dancer the ability to attack monsters twice.”

 

This left Yuya in disbelief. Such a bizarre effect… Yet it was fitting for a summoning method he had never heard of before… It felt incredible discovering the Pendulum Summoning technique for himself, but after a bunch of duelists he faced had to deal with a type of summon they didn’t know how to prepare for or counter, only now was he dealing with the brunt end of his own advantage.

 

“I set one card face-down and end my turn!” The girl threw a card into one of the empty slots of her Duel Disk with as much aggression as she did with her monsters. Not only does she have a mysterious summoning method known as Fusion Summoning that Yuya doesn’t know the strengths and weaknesses of, but she also took dueling very seriously.

 

“Guess I’ll just have to counter one summoning method with another!” Yanking the top card from his deck, Yuya smiled upon being greeted by Timegazer Magician, “Glad to see you could join us! Now let’s show her that Pendulum Summoning is nothing to scoff at either!” He then grabbed Stargazer Magician, and readied the two of them as he swung his arm backwards, “Alright, time to see if your Fusion Summoning can hold its own against my own specialty! I use Scale 1 Stargazer Magician, and Scale 8 Timegazer Magician to set the Pendulum Scale!” Placing them down on opposing ends of the Duel Disk, the bright letters of the word ‘ **P** **E** **N** **D** **U** **L** **U** **M** ’ appears as the magicians rise up, each within their own pillar of light, a number representing their Pendulum Scale materializing above them.

 

The girl merely watches, definitely surprised, but isn’t taken aback at the sight of a new summoning method. Regardless, Yuya presses on, “With this, I’m able to summon multiple monsters between Levels Two and Seven!” Raising his hand up high, Yuya smirks confidently.

  
  


**“Sway, Pendulum of the Soul! Draw your arc of light across the ether!**

 

**PENDULUM SUMMON!**

 

**Come forth, my monsters!**

 

**_Performapal Fire Mufflerlion!_ **

 

**_Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!”_ **

  
  


With a sparkle of its contrasting red and green eyes, Odd-Eyes had descended upon the field in a show of lights from the gate that opened in the sky (Lv 7/Dark/Dragon/2500 Atk/2000 Def). Alongside it came a lion with mane composed entirely of flames, including on the tail. Despite the vibrant sparks it emitted, a small top hat sat daintily on its head, as well as a bow tie and vest being a part of its appearance (Lv 3/Fire/Beast/800 Atk/800 Def).

 

Now that Yuya’s best monster was ready to strike, he gave Odd-Eyes the command to go after Lunalight Cat Dancer, shooting a blaze of heat straight towards it. While this on its own is enough to give Yuya the edge, he decides to add onto it by opening his mouth, “By the way, since your Cat Dancer is at least Level 5, Odd-Eyes inflicts double the damage during this attack!”

  
  


**Unknown LP: 4000 > 3800**

  
  


In spite of Yuya’s confidence however, what he witnesses when the smoke cleared completely cuts down his perception of the situation. Cat Dancer is still there, perfectly fine, even seeming to mock him as it moves about gracefully without even a scratch on it. Yuya is utterly baffled, “What…?”

 

“Cat Dancer can’t be destroyed by battle.” Yuya blinks, pulled out of his shocked state as his opponent suddenly chimes in, “You can’t just beat her by hitting her really hard. Wouldn’t make for a good Fusion Monster if it were that easy to get rid of her.”

 

“Are all Fusion Monsters… that powerful…?” Yuya was practically frozen as he pondered about what else Fusion Monsters could possibly be capable of… His thought process is interrupted however, as his opponent didn’t give him even a moment to catch his breath.

 

“Is that really all your little Pendulum Summon has to offer? Looks like I had nothing to worry about then. I’ll finish this right now! My turn! I summon Lunalight Yellow Marten!” An anthropomorphic female monster shoots out from a cloud of dark fog that appears between the competitors, dressed in a frilly pink, white and red outfit. Similar to the other two, this one has a crescent shaped mask, this one over its left eye (Lv 4/Dark/Beast-Warrior/800 Atk/2000 Def). “Now I tribute her for the effect of Lunalight Cat Dancer!”

 

As Yellow Marten evaporates, the particles were soon absorbed by Cat Dancer. Yuya prepares for her to go after Fire Mufflerlion, but he instead receives an upset to his system as his opponent makes a command for her monster, “Cat Dancer, attack Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!”

 

Although Cat Dancer is immune to battle destruction, it’s still weaker than Odd-Eyes, evoking raw confusion out of Yuya as his dragon blasts right back with a burst of flames. Even still, he forces his usual expressive demeanor for the sake of not letting himself lose any more focus, “Your Cat Dancer might survive this battle unscathed, but that doesn’t mean your Life Points will be!”

  
  


**Unknown LP: 3800 > 3600**

  
  


The supposedly rash decision his opponent had made was enough to relapse Yuya’s state of bewilderment from earlier. It was as if her whole strategy was to confuse him, but truthfully, there was a purpose to her strange maneuver.

 

“I activate the Trap, Lunalight Dance!” Yuya snaps back to reality as the card his opponent had set during her previous turn is flipped upright, “Since a Lunalight monster attacked, all your monsters switch battle positions, and half their stats until the End Phase!”

 

Odd-Eyes was helpless as it’s forced into its more vulnerable defensive stance, while Fire Mufflerlion changes to offense (2500/2000 > 1250/1000) (800/800 > 400/400). Yuya currently has no means of responding to his opponent’s tactics, so all he could do is hope to make a comeback during his next turn. However, the intensity displayed by his opponent made it unlikely that he would be given another turn.

 

“Cat Dancer, slice up that Dragon!” With a single command, Cat Dancer lashes out towards Odd-Eyes, unleashing a flurry of strikes with its daggers. All the while, Yuya had to watch as his companion was annihilated as if it were nothing. Even so, that wasn’t the end of it, “Now, show that pathetic lion how a real cat fights!” With Fire Mufferlion in Attack Position, Yuya’s Life Points were now free rein as his monster desperately tries to fend off its adversary, only to meet the sharp end of its blade.

  
  


**Yuya LP: 4000 > 2000**

  
  


The sparks emitted by the fire striking Cat Dancer’s iron blades resulting in a cloud of smoke. Yuya coughed as he waited for it to dissipate, steadying his breathing before he spoke up. Maintaining a smile, he kept up his usual optimism in spite of his opponent’s sour attitude wearing thin on him, “I may be down to half my Life Points, but that’s as far as you’ll get! You’re out of attack targets, so all I have to do is swing things back in my favor next turn!”

 

Unfazed by Yuya’s repeated tangents, the girl grins unnervingly as she merely responded with, “Is that so?”

 

Caught off-guard by his opponent’s unexpected shift in tone, Yuya is brought back into a state of befuddlement once he sees Fire Mufflerlion is still there as the smoke disappears, “Wh-… What…?!” He can only stand there, frozen in shock, trying and failing to comprehend if he was just seeing things, “But, your monster destroyed him!”

 

“No, my monster  _ attacked _ him. Like I said, Cat Dancer can attack all of your monsters twice, and that means they’ll be sticking around so that she can! Now, Cat Dancer! Finish this fool!” Within an instant, the same sharp edges that had cut up Fire Mufflerlion do so again, only this time, the ensuing explosion is one of finality.

  
  


**Yuya LP: 2000 > 0**

  
  


**Winner: Serena**

  
  


“Serena…?” Yuya looked down as his Duel Disk displayed the winner’s name on its screen. Upon lifting his view back up however, he saw her walking away without another word. He almost wanted to say, ‘You duel me, then run away like nothing happened?’ but something told him that she was the type who wouldn’t hesitate to get violent. Besides, he still needs to get to You Show!

 

Getting himself up in a hurry, Yuya commences running, in a mad dash towards school. His mind resumes racing just like his feet, panicking about how that girl would react when she finds him. She’s always peeved whenever he’s late by just a few minutes, so the thought of her after sleeping in for several hours is an absolute nightmare! That’s not even counting how long that duel he had on the way must’ve ended up taking! Times like these make him wish his Duel Disk had a built-in clock or something along those lines!

 

As Yuya rounded the corner, he felt like he was in the clear. You Show was in his sights, with no sign of the person he was terrified of running into! On the home stretch, Yuya made one final break for the front door, panting in raw exhaustion as he placed his hand against the side of the building for support as he desperately gasped for air, his lungs worn out far beyond their limit. In spite of his difficulty breathing though, Yuya had made it to You Show against all odds. Opening the door triumphantly, he was then met with a swift smack to the face from a girl who had been waiting there the entire time, “Do you have any idea how late you are?!”

 

As Yuya fell to the ground, he grimaced as he glimpsed up at the person who had done the deed. Before fading out of consciousness, he managed to utter one last sentence, “Oh, hi Yuzu…”

  
  
  
  
  


Nakajima glances at his watch as he let out a sigh, “I’ve been on hold for half an hour now…” He began tapping his finger on the desk, losing his patience as the minutes pass by without any word from his advisor. Slumping forward onto the table, there was nothing else to do but allow his mind to wander as he hopes that Mr. Akaba would pick up soon… and that he wouldn’t have to keep listening to that  _ forsaken jingle the phone won’t stop playing-! _

  
  


* * *

  
  


As Yuya rested peacefully on the couch at You Show Duel School, he’s suddenly jolted awake by the same paper fan that had previously knocked him out cold. His eyes darting around in a frenzy until they met the gaze of the girl who was responsible for Yuya’s comatose state. Lifting his head up, Yuya laughed nervously as he attempted to deescalate the situation, “Oh, hi Yuzu…” He’s then immediately stricken a third time with the fan, much to his distress.

 

“You said that already!” the girl shouts at Yuya without any sense of sympathy for him, “It is nearly 1 in the afternoon, Yuya! We were all supposed to be here to welcome the new student,  _ especially _ you, before classes started for her tomorrow! But  _ apparently _ you’re too important for that now, ever since that whole Pendulum Summon business!”

 

Despite how she was obnoxiously nagging him like an overly strict mother, Yuzu Hiiragi was the same age as Yuya, at fourteen years old. As if to reinforce her age for anyone who doubted it, her pastel pink hair was tied into short twin pigtails, held together by round, blue hair clips that matched the color of her eyes. This was further emphasized by a red skirt she wore beneath a sleeveless blue and white top. Above all else though… was a burning scowl.

 

Once all was said and done, Yuzu dragged Yuya into the nearest classroom. Inside were the three kids they had both come to know as Ayu Ayukawa, Futoshi Harada, and Tatsuya Yamashiro. They all turned to face the two of them as they entered, and ran over to greet them.

 

Ayu’s deep crimson hair was easy to keep track of, even when so close to Yuya and Yuzu, in spite of being half their height. The same went for Futoshi’s yellow hair and Tatsuya’s blue hair, though neither of them had a distinct tuft like Ayu did, which consisted of two strands that stuck at an upward angle to form the shape of a sickle. Tatsuya was much neater, not just in terms of his hair, but he was very well-dressed for his age, including a watch that would have  _ really _ benefited Yuya earlier… Thinking about it though made him lose his train of thought, which resulted in his eyes wandering.

 

Behind the usual three, Yuya noticed there was a new girl, standing at the back of the room, seeming to be frozen as she looked back at him. Her cheeks were bright red, as she stared at him with eyes of an equally radiant shade of green, evoking a confused reaction from him, “I’m guessing you’re the new student, huh?” he said with a wide grin.

 

“That’s Haruko Matsuoka!” Yuya jumped as he found his teacher, and Yuzu’s father, Shuzo Hiiragi, standing directly behind him. The man smiled proudly as he walked over and wrapped his arm around the short girl, who didn’t seem to even be aware as she kept her eyes on Yuya the whole time. Nonetheless, Shuzo proceeded with introducing her, “She transferred here to You Show from Surprise School, so be sure to give her a warm welcome!”

 

Haruko clutched a short, wooden rod, likely meant to be a wand given the theme of the Surprise School. She wore a dress and wizard’s hat that fit her theme, both being a pale green color, similar to her downwardly curved eyes, only they were of a more subdued shade. The dress also creates a pattern the further down it went, comprised of dark green horizontal stripes. Her hair is of a similar color as well, but a much lighter hue, appearing more minty in areas.

 

“U-… Um… H-… Hello…” the girl stutters, struggling to talk coherently, as she visibly shook where she stood, “Are you… Y-… Yuya S-… Sakaki…?” She looks to be on the verge of passing out once she finishes her question. Yuya simply nodded, which causes her to freeze up again as she lets out a gasp, “I…! Y-You’re…!”

 

Yuya was left perplexed as Haruko broke into another fit of stuttering and shivering as she fails to express herself properly. Shuzo had to step in and translate for her, as it seems like it would be awhile before she would actually be able to get herself together, “Haruko here is a big fan you, Yuya! She transferred here because she wanted to be able to meet you in person!”

 

Haruko nodded timidly, even beginning to feel dizzy as she does so, so overwhelmed that she’s meeting her idol, “Y-… You’re… So amazing…!” Yuya couldn’t help but feel embarrassed at such unfiltered praise, unprepared for someone to start speaking so highly of him. While Yuya certainly wouldn’t complain about this, Yuzu on the other hand was heating up upon seeing a different girl getting all of his attention.

 

Noticing that his daughter was getting anxious, Shuzo decided to cut the introductions short for everyone’s safety… “So, uh, Yuya! How about you welcome Haruko with a good ole fashioned duel, You Show style!”

 

Yuya agrees with the sentiment, believing it would be best to avoid angering Yuzu any further than he had already… Taking the initiative to get out of range of Yuzu’s fan, he hightailed it out of the classroom, and held himself from running off by grabbing the doorframe. He then turns back to Haruko and smiles, “No better way to get to know someone than by dueling them! Come on, let’s get this party started!”

 

Haruko was put into a panicked state at the concept of dueling the person she looks up to. She attempts to speak up on the matter, but was rendered unable to, as the right words never comes to her. She had met her idol only a few minutes prior, yet she’s being thrust into a duel against him without any sort of warning.

  
  


* * *

  
  


After being led to the school’s arena, much to Haruko’s dismay, she and Yuya stood opposite of each other in a large, open room. Glancing around nervously, eventually her eyes met with Yuya’s once again, as he gave her a reassuring thumbs up. Her moment of comfort was interrupted though as Shuzo announced that he was activating the Solid Vision, “Alright, Yuya! Show her the hot-blooded dueling we’re known for!

 

Action Field, on! Field Spell: Mystic Grounds! Activate!”

 

Shuzo slammed his finger down on the switch, enveloping both duelists in a storm of winds that left behind various stone structures. As opposed to the empty room they first entered, they now found themselves on a mountaintop, surrounded by powerful gales that pushed back against them before the duel had even begun. While Haruko tried getting familiar with the field, she saw Yuya running up the side of one of the slanted pillars, only to spread his arms out as he reached the top.

 

Yuya then surprised Haruko as he started shouting from his makeshift podium, “Ladies and gentlemen!” He narrowed his eyes, before eventually spotting the window through which the others were viewing his bout, “Today we have a special event, for a new participant has entered You Show’s school of dueling! The task has fallen upon me to give them an introduction they will never forget!”

 

Haruko’s eyes sparkled as she was left in awe, listening to Yuya reinforce her reasons to idolize him. As Yuya continued his speech, it occurred to Haruko that he was about to kick off the traditional chant performed before Action Duels. This was done for the sake of getting the crowd excited, so Yuya definitely wanted it to be done right. Not wanting to disappoint him, she got ready to join in.

 

**“D-Duelists locked in battle...!”**

 

**“Kicking against the earth, and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!”**

 

**“Th-They, u-um… soar- no, s-storm through this field…!”**

 

**“Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!”**

 

**“A-Action…”**

 

**_“Duel!”_** **_“D-Duel…!”_**

 

Stray winds were swallowed up into a sphere in the center of the field, only to expel a multitude of cards as the light burst. As Action Cards fell towards the ground, Haruko stood there, covering her face in disgust over the fact that she messed up. But despite this, Yuya didn’t seem to mind her minor blunder, and only gave her an encouraging smile before their duel truly commenced.

  
  


**Yuya LP: 4000** **Haruko LP: 4000**

  
  


“How about you go first, Haruko?” Tatsuya chimed in from the other room, “Show us what your dueling skills are like!”

 

Turning to Yuya for approval, Haruko waited for his opinion as she didn’t want to take spotlight away from him. Looking into his eyes though, she felt an air of curiosity on-par with that of the rest of the onlookers. If her idol wanted to see what she was capable of, then so be it! “I summon Majespecter Fox - Kyubi!” Out from a puff of smoke came a yellow kitsune, who was notable for a stable tornado that acted as its tail (Lv 4/Wind/Spellcaster/1500 Atk/1000 Def), “By his effect, I’m allowed to add a Majespecter Trap Card to my hand when he’s summoned! I choose Majespecter Tornado, and set it to my field, then end my turn!”

 

Yuya smiled even wider, moving his arm in front of him as he let out a laugh, “A mysterious Trap, huh? Well it looks like I’m gonna have to go all-out if I’m going into unknown territory!” With a flick of the wrist, Yuya slid a card into one of the slots in his Duel Disk, “I activate Odd-Eyes Accel, allowing me to bring out an Odd-Eyes monster without tributing!” On cue, Yuya’s main beast arrived onto the field, in all of its glory.

 

Taking a deep breath, Haruko steadied her finger as she readied herself, “If you wanna see the Trap Card for yourself, then here it is!” Flipping her card face-up, the previously set Majespecter Tornado unleashed a bellowing hurricane that swallowed Odd-Eyes whole. It then vanished, along with both monsters, “B-By tributing a Majespecter monster, I can get rid of one of yours…!”

 

Even still, Yuya kept up his positive disposition, going to far as to start laughing, “Sorry to disappoint, but it’s gonna take more than that to keep me down!” He grabbed a pair of cards out of his hand and grinned, “I use Scale 1 Stargazer Magician, and Scale 8 Timegazer Magician to set the Pendulum Scale!” As he did before, he placed down his two cards on opposite ends of the Duel Disk, as the word ‘ **P** **E** **N** **D** **U** **L** **U** **M** ’ materialized across the surface. Once his two Magicians were in the sky, Yuya reached out above him and made his move.

  
  


**“Sway, Pendulum of the Soul! Draw your arc of light across the ether!**

 

**PENDULUM SUMMON!**

 

**Come forth, my monsters!**

 

**_Performapal Silver Claw!_ **

 

**_Performapal Drummerilla!”_ **

  
  


Out from two separate beams of light, a gray wolf with blades for claws, and piercings on its ears (Lv 4/Dark/Beast/1800 Atk/700 Def), and beside it, an ape with percussion instruments, namely drums and cymbals, attached to its chest (Lv 5/Earth/Beast/1600 Atk/900 Def). Yuya wasn’t done with his main performance though, as he attempted to squeeze one last summon out, “But that’s not all! You see, when Pendulum Monsters, such as Odd-Eyes are destroyed, they go to the Extra Deck instead of the Graveyard, where they can be brought right back!”

 

Yuya reached out to the Pendulum above, calling back his Odd-Eyes. However… he received no response.

 

As Yuya looked up at the closed portal in utter confusion, Haruko reluctantly spoke up, “Um… Ah, Majespecter Tornado doesn’t destroy the monster it targets… It banishes it instead…”

 

Yuya stood there in silence for a few seconds, in disbelief at what he just heard, “Odd-Eyes…?” He fell to his knees, awfully shaken in spite of the low stakes this duel has in the grand scheme of things, “I just… let him get banished…”  As he mumbled to himself, he took hold of his goggles, sliding them down over his eyes, “What kind of duelist am I to just let my pal run into a trap like that…?”

 

Haruko freezes up once she realizes how badly she had affected Yuya. A wave of regret bombards her as she cries out to apologize, “I-I’m so sorry…!”

 

Yuya doesn’t seem to hear Haruko, as he instead stays silent while bearing an uncharacteristically blank expression. It isn’t long until he looked back up, letting out a sigh, “Oh well, might as well finish the duel, I guess…” He sticks out his arm unenthusiastically, and proceeds with his turn, “Silver Claw, attack.” (1800 > 2100 Atk)

 

As Silver Claw barreled towards Haruko, she was too focused on how upset Yuya was to notice. The thought of how much she had screwed up had left her crestfallen as well. It wasn’t until the wolf had rammed into her abdomen that reality became apparent to her as she was knocked onto the ground.

  
  


**Haruko LP: 4000 > 1900**

  
  


“Oh, right, Silver Claw gets 300 more points while attacking.” Yuya explains halfheartedly. He tilts his head down, unable to bring himself to enjoy this duel without Odd-Eyes, figuring he may as well make it quick, “My other Performapals get that boost as well if he attacked first.” Still maintaining a bored look on his face, he points at Haruko, “Alright, Drummerilla…” (1600 > 1900 Atk)

 

Haruko couldn’t move as she watches in fear as the monstrous ape runs towards her. It then strikes the girl with its fist, sending her flying into one of the columns.

  
  


**Haruko LP: 1900 > 0**

  
  


**Winner: Yuya**

  
  


Yuya’s victory felt hollow as the Action Field dissipates around him. He hops down from the rocks before they could disappear, leaving him alone with Haruko in the room, empty as it was originally. This doesn’t last long though, as the sound of the door opening shatters the awkward interlude that had fallen over them, “Yuya, what happened?!” Tatsuya calls out as he bursts into the room, followed by Ayu and Futoshi.

 

All three of the children rush over to Yuya’s side, failing to notice Haruko collapsed against the wall. It isn’t until Yuzu and Shuzo arrived from the control room that they spot her on the floor. The former letting out a gasp while the latter kneels over to check if she’s okay, “Haruko, are you alright?!”

 

Everyone turns to see Haruko lifting herself back up, only for her face to show a look of utter dejection, “No, I’m not… I’m so sorry…” She breaks out of Shuzo’s grip and dashes out of the room before anyone could react to what she had said. Shuzo stumbles back, not expecting Haruko’s sudden outburst. He attempted to chase after her, but was quickly outpaced by the youth.

 

Returning to where the others were, Shuzo was met by the sound of Yuya being struck by Yuzu’s fan, “AND ANOTHER THING-!” Yuzu had to be pulled off of Yuya as she assaulted him relentlessly, “You are going to go apologize to Haruko, or I’m going to start swinging twice as hard!”

 

While Shuzo wasn’t entirely aware of what was going on, he did know one thing for sure. If Haruko decides not to transfer because of whatever took place, they wouldn’t be getting her parents’ money for tuition! Coming to this realization, he picks up Yuya himself and takes over Yuzu’s role of yelling at him, “Yuya, if you don’t go apologize to Haruko right this instant, it’s detention for a week!”

 

Yuzu swiftly takes back the reins as she struck her father on the back of the head with her fan, “You’re only saying that for the tuition fees and you know it!”

 

“Excuse me for trying to  _ run a business, Yuzu!” _ Shuzo retorts.

 

Taking this argument between father and daughter as a blessing from the heavens, Yuya seizes the opportunity to sneak out. Whether it be going to apologize for a bad duel, or taking over the paper route because Yuzu attacked the usual kid (don’t ask), he’d rather be doing anything as long as it doesn’t involve the possibility of being beaten over the head. With that, Yuya left You Show and went off to go look for Haruko.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Nakajima had been waiting on hold for a couple hours by this stage, taking its toll on him as he drifted off to sleep as elevator music played through the phone’s receiver. Eventually it ceased however, as it was suddenly replaced by a voice that woke up Nakajima instantly, “You wished to speak to me, Nakajima?”

 

Coughing as he readjusts himself, Nakajima swipes up the phone, “A-Ah, Mr. Akaba!  _ Ahem _ , sorry to bother you, but there’s been another outbreak of Fusion Energy!”

 

The man on the other end of the line takes a brief pause before responding, “... I see… Interesting. So it wasn’t just a one-time occurence then.”

 

“That’s right, sir.” Nakajima replies, “It also had the exact same frequency, so it isn’t just a coincidence.”

 

“But we don’t know how many of them there are, correct?” the man asks.

 

“That’s true… Only one signal has appeared at a time, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more…” Nakajima pondered quietly to himself. But the conversation with his boss was soon interrupted, as the screen in front of him lit up, “What the…? Sir?”

  
“Hm?” Mr. Akaba raises his head up, intrigued by his employee’s tone.

 

“There’s been another outbreak of Xyz Energy, sir.” Nakajima flatly states.

 

Mr. Akaba leaned back, considering all the variables laid out thus far, “So we have not only Fusion invaders, but Xyz as well… What does this mean…?” After taking a moment to think, he reaches for the phone once again, speaking in a calm manner, “Report back to me immediately if you discover any further information, Nakajima.” Upon hanging up, all he could do is wonder about the meaning behind these mysterious increases in Summoning Energy…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suppose I'll take the time to mention how updates will go. They'll be rather unpredictable since I'm inconsistent with how much writing I tend to get done. Hopefully it won't be too bad, but do expect some extended gaps so I don't end up going crazy.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really know what to say here, other than please let me know how I can improve, because I really want this to turn out well. Also since this is meant to act as more of a prologue, this is actually a bit shorter than what chapters after this will be like. Nothing crazy, but I'm willing to say this is around two-thirds of the average length I'll be aiming for. Also, I'll be including any original cards I have in my End Notes if they're introduced in that chapter, such as Spell Swing.
> 
> Thank you to Blue88 for pointing out that I forgot to mention Dennis setting Forbidden Lance. I've added a short sentence that amends this. Also I'll take the time to also mention the reason for the cards having their English names, despite the characters having their Japanese names. I play the TCG a lot, so using the Japanese names for the cards would be torture on my muscle memory, so I've decided it wasn't worth the additional headaches down the line, and opted for the English names.
> 
>  
> 
> Spell Swing (Action Spell)
> 
> When your opponent activates a Spell Card that targets exactly 1 monster (and no other cards) on the field: Target a different monster that would be an appropriate target; that Spell now targets the new target.


End file.
